Egg laying has begun!

[jbrianchamberli]

First egg didn't have a shell. Second egg was hard but cracked on one end. Third egg, again, cracked again. The only hen laying right now doesn't like to lay on hay or straw. She kicks everything around and sits on the floor of the coop in the nesting box. Not sure if this is cracking the egg or if she's doing it by pecking.

Any suggestions?

 

[Isabella F]

Mine haven't started laying yet but I've read that you need to make sure that your chickens have calcium. you can just put some in a container in the coop. Part of it can also be that the hen just started laying. It will help to keep the eggs from cracking to just try to collect them as soon as possible after being layed. As for laying in the wrong place, you can buy wood or ceramic fake eggs to get the hens to know were to lay.

 

[jbrianchamberli]

She's laying in the right place. She just kicks whatever bedding I lay down there. She ends up laying the egg on the hard wood.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Line nest boxes with folded feed bags, etc and bed on top of that, bedding may get scratched out but the bag will cushion eggs. Photos of nest box will also help as often its a matter of reconfiguring the front of them. New layers wmare often pretty frantic about things and may settler down

 

[apryl29]

I have one that keeps knocking the straw out of the box She lays in too. She will only use that box and a couple others have started using it too. Every day after I collect the eggs I tossed more straw in and the next day all the straws gone. It makes me mad bc now there's a bunch of straw on the floor. Normally the eggs don't crack from the fall, but I like the feed bag idea. The corner box that's everyone's favorite was always emptied too, but they finally stopped messing w it after I stuffed it full of straw. I see them scratching & pecking so I suspect they're finding goodies in the straw so they keep kicking it out while looking for seeds.